[Preservation of hearing in labyrinthectomies for cholesteatoma]

Destruction of the membranous labyrinth can lead to sensorineural hearing loss. This is especially frequent in surgery for active otorrhea. However, destruction of the posterior labyrinth sometimes can be solved without loss of cochlear function. We report three cases of partial labyrinthectomy for intralabyrinthine cholesteatoma without functional loss. Current theories regarding the conservation of hearing are discussed.